Your Travel Guide Online

JONGENSFONTEIN
Jongensfontein Nature Reserve: birding, photography, hiking,
cycling (on the roads) and whale watching
STILBAAI
Pauline Bohnen Nature Reserve: birding, picnic area, whale
watching, fishing, photography, hiking and cycling (allowed on
the roads)
A huge reserve with scenic and easy to moderate hiking trails
(4km – 8km). It is situated along the Goukou River estuary and
offers a wide variety of water sport as well as fishing. Watch
out for the beehives and take care not to annoy the bees. Best
to wear good walking shoes, a hat as well as sunblock and of
course your camera, water bottle and snacks.
Skulpiesbaai Nature Reserve: birding, photography, hiking and
whale watching
No serious hiker or nature lover should miss this route!
Conservation area that boasts fairly difficult, but wonderfully
scenic and rewarding hiking trails (3km – 6km) between the
harbour and ancient fish traps. Three different vantage points
to start your hike: at the fish traps, Morris Point and at the whale
watching area. The routes vary from one to three hours.
On the walks you will see the indigenous milkwood tree forests
as well as the odd grysbok, bushbuck, mongoose and otter as
well as various species of birds and stunning views of the Indian
ocean.
The various trails criss-cross the entire reserve following the
contours of the dunes. It is clearly marked with sign boards such
as Elephant Bush Trail (Olifantbospad) and Brown Hyena Trail
(Strandjutpad). Have no fear, though, there are no elephants, nor
hyenas around anymore!
One of the routes takes you along the beach and is about 1.5
km. A lovely wide stretch of sand with rocks and lots of shells.
This is the most significant stretch of indigenous afromontane
forest left in the south-western Cape, with nearly all of the
35 typical forest tree species, including red alder, ironwood,
stinkwood and yellowwood. Visitors to this beautiful reserve will
relish the
opportunity to get out into the forest on day walks and mountain
biking trails. This is an excellent birding destination with more than
196 bird species regularly spotted. Hikers are likely to bump into
bushbuck and spot baboons and smaller mammals when out on
the trails. Sighting the forest emperor butterfly and a subspecies of
the rare ghost frog would be the highlight of a visit here, as they
can only be found in this particular forest.
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